J.D. Prescott
A four-term Republican incumbent representing east-central Indiana farm country, Prescott is uncontested in the May 5 Republican primary and has raised zero dollars in 2026 — coasting on $9,648 cash on hand. He sits on House Ways & Means and has emerged in 2025–2026 as the Indiana House's leading author on state-level immigration enforcement and a vocal proponent of eliminating Indiana's property tax system entirely.
The 60-second story
John 'J.D.' Prescott is the Republican state representative for Indiana House District 33, a rural east-central Indiana seat covering all of Blackford and Randolph counties plus portions of Delaware, Henry, and Jay counties. He has held the seat since November 7, 2018 and is unopposed in the May 5, 2026 Republican primary. He will face Democratic nominee John E. Bartlett — making his third consecutive run at the seat — in the November 3 general election. Bartlett lost to Prescott in 2022 and again in 2024 (27% to 73%).
Prescott was born and raised on his family's farm outside Winchester, Indiana and graduated from Winchester Community High School. He continues to operate Prescott Farms and runs multiple small businesses; he is also a licensed real estate agent in east central Indiana. Before entering the legislature, he served as president of the Randolph County Young Farmers organization and is a member of the Saratoga Lions Club.
In the legislature he sits on three high-profile committees — Ways and Means (the House's primary tax-writing body), Elections and Apportionment, and Judiciary. He has emerged as a leading House voice on state-level immigration enforcement, originally authoring 2025's HB 1531 (which was killed in committee by Sen. Liz Brown) and seeing his policy framework revived as Sen. Brown's SB 76 in 2026, currently heading to Gov. Braun's desk. He has also publicly argued that Indiana should eliminate its property tax system entirely and replace it with another revenue source.
Prescott was on the original list of GOP House members opposed to mid-cycle congressional redistricting in 2025. He reversed his position publicly on November 19, 2025 — explaining that he 'was initially a no because I did not like the precedent it would set to redraw maps mid-cycle, however, once multiple states moved ahead and changed their maps, the political rules of engagement shifted' — and voted yes on the House floor December 5, 2025. He lives in Union City with his wife Brooke and their two sons Grayson and Graham; the family attends Poplar Run United Baptist Church.
Quick facts
- Residence Outside Union City, Indiana (Randolph County)
- Education Winchester Community High School
- Family Wife Brooke; two sons (Grayson and Graham)
- Religion Christian (Poplar Run United Baptist Church)
- Profession Farmer (Prescott Farms); small-business owner; real estate agent
- House role Ways and Means; Elections & Apportionment; Judiciary
- Last election 2024: defeated Democrat John E. Bartlett (general); defeated Gregory LeMaster (R primary)
- First elected November 6, 2018 (assumed office Nov 7, 2018)
Three things voters should know
He sits on Ways and Means and wants to abolish Indiana's property tax
On the House's primary tax-writing committee, Prescott has publicly argued for eliminating Indiana's property tax system entirely. During March 2025 debate on Senate Bill 1 — Holdman's $1.3B property tax relief package — Prescott told the committee: 'I think it's possible to get us out of the property tax system completely and replace it with a better system. I don't think anybody in their right minds would look at the taxing structure that we have today and if you were to hit the reset button, rewrite it the same way.' He is one of the most aggressive property-tax abolitionists in House Republican leadership ranks.
Lead House author on state-level immigration enforcement
Prescott authored 2025's HB 1531, which would have empowered the Indiana Attorney General's office to defend or sue government bodies and universities over compliance with federal immigration enforcement. Sen. Liz Brown (R-Fort Wayne), then-chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, killed the bill in committee. After AG Todd Rokita hosted an October 2025 'Fairness for Hoosiers' event reviving Prescott's policy, Brown reversed her position; her own SB 76 in 2026 — restructured to mirror Prescott's legislation — passed the Senate and is now heading to Gov. Braun's desk.
He flipped on mid-cycle redistricting
Prescott was named in August 2025 reporting as one of the House GOP members opposed to mid-cycle congressional redistricting. He reversed his position on November 19, 2025, explaining: 'I was initially a no because I did not like the precedent it would set to redraw maps mid-cycle. However, once multiple states moved ahead and changed their maps, the political rules of engagement shifted.' He voted yes on the House floor on December 5, 2025 with the 57-41 House majority. The bill subsequently died in the Senate, where Sen. Travis Holdman led the no-vote coalition.
Biography
John D. 'J.D.' Prescott was born and raised on the Prescott family farm outside Winchester, in Randolph County, east-central Indiana. He graduated from Winchester Community High School and began working full-time on the family farm. Over time he grew the operation and started multiple small businesses; he is also a licensed real estate agent serving east-central Indiana.
Before running for the state legislature, he was active in agricultural-community leadership — including as president of the Randolph County Young Farmers organization — and in civic life as a member of the Saratoga Lions Club. He and his wife, Brooke, have two sons, Grayson and Graham. The family lives outside Union City, Indiana (Randolph County, on the Ohio border) and attends Poplar Run United Baptist Church, where Prescott describes himself as an active member.
Prescott first ran for the District 33 Indiana House seat in 2018, when the seat was open after the retirement of long-serving Republican Greg Beumer. Prescott won the May 8, 2018 Republican primary against Jenae Blasdel, then defeated Democrat Shon Byrum and Libertarian Dale Arnett in the November 6, 2018 general election. He has won re-election in 2020 (over Democrat Julie Snider), 2022 (over Democrat John E. Bartlett), and 2024 (a primary win over Gregory LeMaster, then a general-election win over Bartlett again). His Republican primary on May 5, 2026 is uncontested.
In Indianapolis, Prescott has served on the House Ways and Means Committee since at least his second term — a high-profile assignment for a non-leadership member, as Ways and Means is the chamber's primary tax-writing body — alongside the House Elections and Apportionment Committee and the House Judiciary Committee. He is regularly featured among 'top lawmakers for support of pro-economy, pro-jobs legislation' by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, while receiving below-passing scores from the Citizens Action Coalition's pro-consumer ratings.
Career
Business holdings & ownership
Memberships & affiliations
Poplar Run United Baptist Church (Union City), Saratoga Lions Club, Randolph County Young Farmers (former president), Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Realtors (member, by professional license)
Potential conflicts the Ledger has flagged
Prescott sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, the chamber's primary tax-writing body, while operating a family farm, multiple small businesses, and a real estate brokerage practice. Each of these business interests has a distinct stake in Indiana tax policy: agricultural property is taxed differently from commercial or residential property, small businesses have benefited from his caucus's business personal-property-tax phaseout, and real estate brokers are direct stakeholders in the property-tax structure he has publicly advocated abolishing. This is a structural disclosure observation rather than an alleged violation. Indiana legislators file an annual Statement of Economic Interests upon taking office.
Prescott has been a named author or co-author of multiple bills that limit local-government regulatory authority on matters with direct industry stakeholders: HB 1114 (preempting local design standards for residential structures), the 2021-era wetlands-permitting repeal, HB 1264 (voter address verification), HB 1230 / SB 287 (changes to school board election rules), and HB 1231 (Ten Commandments display in schools). The Citizens Action Coalition has rated his voting record below their 80% pro-consumer threshold, citing his support for legislation deregulating residential building standards, repealing wetland permitting, and slowing the retirement of coal-fired power plants (HB 1414). This is a record-of-positions observation rather than an ethics finding.
Prior government service
Notable votes
Sponsored or co-sponsored
Positions, in their own words
"I think it's possible to get us out of the property tax system completely and replace it with a better system. I don't think anybody in their right minds would look at the taxing structure that we have today and if you were to hit the reset button, rewrite it the same way."— House Ways & Means committee hearing on SB 1, March 13, 2025
"I was initially a no because I did not like the precedent it would set to redraw maps mid-cycle. However, once multiple states moved ahead and changed their maps, the political rules of engagement shifted. Given that, it's important for Indiana to not sit idly by while other states reshape representation and influence."— Indiana House Republicans press release, November 19, 2025
Where the money came from
$17,250 raised this cycle · 17250 contributions
- Indiana PACs (industry & trade)$7,650
- Individuals (Indiana)$6,900
- Corporate / firm direct contributions$1,800
- Out-of-state contributions$900